"He Just Wants To Talk About Eddie": 9-1-1 Star Unpacks Ravi & Buck's Season 8 Episode 11 Scene

9-1-1's Anirudh Pisharody opens up about Ravi's scene with Buck in season 8, episode 11. Although he's a familiar face to fans of the first-responder drama series, affectionately referred to as "probie," it's in 9-1-1 season 8 that Ravi Panikkar really comes into focus. He rejoins the 118 for the latter part of the season after Eddie (Ryan Guzman) briefly moves to Texas, and Buck (Oliver Stark) is not so quick to accept the change.

In an interview with ScreenRant's Rachel Foertsch, Pisharody was asked about his favorite scene to film with Oliver Stark. The actor refers to the scene in 9-1-1 season 8, episode 11, "Holy Mother of God", which sees Ravi attempting to escape Buck's endless conversation about Eddie by bringing in Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) and realizing that Buck might not be as cool as he first thought:

Anirudh Pisharody: I really liked the quarter scene where I kind of pawn him off on Tommy, where I'm like, "Oh my God." That was really cathartic. It was that situation where Ravi's wanted this thing so badly. He's like, "Oh my God, finally," and then he finally gets it, and he's like, "Turns out, I never wanted it to begin with." I'm like, "He's kind of weird. He just wants to talk about Eddie the whole time. I'm just going to leave." It was really fun to film because that morning we spent like two hours just playing quarters, which neither of us had ever played before, but we're just hitting the table with these quarters into these shot glasses. It was fun. It was a cute moment.

Pisharody was then asked if Buck and Ravi could potentially have a robust friendship, outside of Buck being focused on Eddie. In the quote below, the actor allows for the possibility and notes that the scene in 9-1-1's "Holy Mother of God" may just be an awkward first attempt at building a stronger bond:

Anirudh Pisharody: Maybe if they frolfed. If we played a little bit of frisbee-golf. I think so. I definitely think so. It's one of those things where you spend so much time with someone that—I think for Ravi and Buck, the moment you step outside of that realm, they're both just kind of like, "Oh, this is weird. We've never seen each other like this before." So maybe it is just the training wheels need to come off. That was the first run through. It was rough, and we've just got to do it again.

What The Buck & Ravi Friendship Meant For 9-1-1 Season 8

They Eventually Made Progress

Even though Buck and Ravi don't have the most free-flowing conversation during their first night out, they do eventually get on the same page. Ravi doubts himself after a tense rescue, which nearly results in the death of a baby, but Buck knows what to say to reassure Ravi in the moment. It's a small scene, tucked into the larger context of a two-parter that ends up being Bobby Nash's last stand. But it does highlight that Ravi and Buck do eventually move on from their unsuccessful first night of bonding.
The scene that Pisharody singles out looks like it was primed to deliver something major for the fan-favorite of Buck and Eddie. Perhaps because of the urgency of Peter Krause leaving 9-1-1, that storyline took a backseat in the latter half of season 8. But it's something that could potentially be revisited. That's especially true if, as many fans hope, Pisharody gets added to the main cast for 9-1-1 season 9.

Our Take On Buck & Ravi's Friendship

Lean Into It

Ravi getting more of a spotlight in the second half of 9-1-1 season 8 was one of the bright spots for an overall divisive season. As it looks to chart the path forward, particularly after Bobby's death, it would do well to focus on Pisharody's familiar presence and perhaps even do the long-awaited "Ravi Begins" episode.

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